Sonic Affinity
by S4pphi
Summary: When Eggman unleashes his greatest scheme yet, it is soon clear that it is connected to something happening in Blaze's dimension. When heroes in both worlds rise to face this new threat, Sonic soon finds himself out of his depth when it becomes clear that this wasn't some bright and sunny adventure: This was war. AU, rated for violence, language and some sexual themes.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Alright folks, welcome to a new project of mine that's been stewing for while up in the old noggin'. The idea is to create a new believable Sonic world with elements from all continuities and tell the story of a war against Eggman within it. So yeah, there's gonna be fair bit of world-building in this one. Also its gonna be pretty dark for Sonic. Although that's like saying a red giant is pretty cold for a sun, so it won't be too bad but it'll probably earn its M rating. Also, THIS IS AU!**

**One quick thing before we start, I'm gonna be leaving song names at the beginning of each chapter if anyone wants to listen. A lot of the time the tracks will just a random piece that I like. If there's a note in brackets after the title name that means it meant to go along with a specific character or set piece in the story, like how I've got Sally's and the fic's main theme down there. Also, I picked new themes for everyone, so I'm not going to have His World or something as Sonic's theme.**

**Okay, I'm officially rambling. On with the show!**

**Shinedown: Unity (Theme of Sonic Affinity)**

**Tonight Alive: The Edge (Theme of Sally Acorn)**

**Prologue: Fight Another Day**

The shining, fiery orb in the sky had begun its slow descent below the horizon, leaving the city of Mobotropolis behind for another day. As always though, it left a parting gift in the form of a golden sunset. The sun glistened like a jewel as it fell, casting the capital of the proud and ancient kingdom of Mobius and the sky around it in a golden light. However, in the hustle and bustle of a five-thirty rush hour it went mostly unnoticed by the busy commuters, most only taking a moment to note how pretty it was. It may be a pretty example of a sunset, but it was still just a daily occurence after all; nothing to get excited about.

However, in a massive, towering castle with many turrets and thick, if aging walls, there stood a young Mobian squirrel who did appreciate the sun's earnest efforts to strike awe into those scurrying below it. She gazed at the golden sheen the sun cast across city, the castle, and onto the balcony of her room where she stood. The girl stood somewhat short for a Mobian, at a few inches under three feet. She had glistening chocolate coloured fur with short red hair adorning her crown. Her tail was not the usual big and bushy affair that would be expected of a squirrel, instead it was a short puff of a chipmunk. The result of a genetic abnormality several generations down in the Acorn family and had been carried on. The squirrel was in the midst of her downtime, no lords to mingle with, no pushy matrons to teach her how to be a 'lady'. As such, she wore casual clothing; a pair of blue boots that came up to her calves, a pair of black shorts that reached the middle of her thighs, a simple white top and her favourite waistcoat in blue, lined with hidden pockets and zipped up to protect against the autumn breeze. The girl knew how incredibly 'un-ladylike' her ensemble was but if she was honest she hated dresses and the like. Unfortunately, her position often required her to wear one.

She sighed, _I hate being a princess sometimes_, she thought.

Indeed, the girl on the balcony was Princess Sally Acorn, second in line for the Throne of Acorns, where the monarch of the most powerful nation on Mobius, the Kingdom of Mobius named for its planet and people, sat. Ahead of her was Sally's brother Elias who, fortunately for all, had taken to his role far more comfortably.

The sun continued its slow descent, the heat that it brought with it also leaving the city. Sally shivered, turned and went into her bedroom, closing the glass door leading to the balcony behind her. She sighed as she thought about what had happened earlier that day. How her mouth had been way faster than her head. So the delegate from Trophin province may have been a pig, and Sally may have made a jibe involving a trough and a very enthusiastic, hungry pig. They were high strung aristocrats, Sally was hardly surprised they didn't see the funny side. Although, if Sally was honest her little joke might have been a tad too far but she knew for certain that her father's outburst was also too far. That she was 'no princess' and 'a lost cause' he had said. Her father had always taken things rather seriously, but that didn't soften the blow.

A creak filled the otherwise silent room as the door opened. In stepped Sally's mother, Queen Alicia Acorn. She was the older but spitting image of her daughter, except she had a far more regal dress sense. She wore a flowing silk dress of dark and light blue with silver embroidery. Adorning her flowing red hair was a golden diadem with jewels in the Acorn's royal blue upon it. A quintessentially motherly look was on her face as she looked at her visibly upset daughter, now sat upon her bed. While Sally clearly wasn't in tears, there was a certain melancholy on her face that in Alicia's view was just as bad. Alicia sat next to her daughter.

"Sally, are you feeling well?" truth told, Alicia already knew the answer, but it seemed a natural place to start.

Sally shifted, "Yes mother, I'm fine."

Alicia internally sighed. Alicia knew her daughter well, and when she shifted in place like she just had, she was lying through her teeth.

"No you're not, Sally," she spoke gently, "Your father loves you, no matter what he says or does, that will always be true. You're his little girl."

When Sally replied there was no shortage of venom in her voice, "That's the problem. I'm his _little_ girl. He doesn't seem to appreciate that I'm old enough to make my own decisions, my own lifestyle choices. He knows that I hate all of this, and yet he puts me through it anyway."

Alicia grimaced and sat next to her daughter, "Your father does not enjoy it. How could he, he knows what you think of your position. But, like it or not, it is his duty to ensure you are able to perform yours. You are second-in-line for the throne of the most powerful nation on Mobius. You need to be ready for the day where you may need to step up and lead."

Sally didn't speak for several moments, but then sighed and replied in barely more than a whisper, "I know... but I don't think I can."

Alicia finally understood. Her daughter wasn't unwilling to lead due to disdain for the job. It was because of fear. The pressure and responsiblity placed upon her in the event something happened to Elias would be enormous; the lives of six and a half billion Mobians placed in her hands. To this day, the very concept made Alicia's own mind spin, she was unsurprised that her daughter felt this way.

Sally spoke again, "Mother... I'd like to be alone for a while."

Alicia blinked. She had not been called 'mother' by her daughter for years; it was always 'Mom'. The sassy attitude that her daughter had picked up from that conundrum of a blue hedgehog she had those three years with had been dampened completely. The mother ran her hand over her daughter's hair,

"Okay sweetheart. But whenever you feel up to it, we can talk, alright?"

Sally simply nodded and Alicia made her way to the door. Alicia's hand had almost touched the knob when she heard an explosion off in the distance. She immediately turned and ran to the balcony, her daughter hot on her heels. A plume of smoke rose off in the distance, dark and heavy.

"That's coming from Fort Emerald, mom!" exclaimed Sally.

Alicia only stared in shock and confusion at the apparent explosion at the nearby military base before she finally uttered, "What on Mobius was... We must find your fath-"

Alicia never had the chance to finish her sentence as a loud, terrible screech overtook her ears as with every one in Mobotropolis. She looked up only to see formations of red, gold and black fighters flying in the city's airspace. The intruders had drooping wings and were wide craft that tapered to a pointed edge towards the front. They seemed rather ungainly but at the same time elegant. They presented even more cause for concern, they were not a model of aircraft being produced by any known company. Who could they belong to?

Her reverie would have to wait however as the fighters began to swoop down on the city, autocannons blazing. Screams could be heard on the city streets even from the castle. Unusually some of the aircraft suddenly jerked in midair and appeared to fall down onto the streets below.

Mother and daughter could only stare dumbstruck at the sudden and violent attack. Mobius had nothing but amicable relations with the United Federation and the Dragon Kingdom, the only two other major nations on their world. They had no enemies that were powerful enough to do this, to conduct such a modern day blitzkreig. The door behind the two female royals burst open as two Royal Guards ran into the room. They were dressed in an ornate royal blue jacket with red trim, a gun-metal grey bowl shaped helmet with gold trim, loose cream trousers and blue boots. The outfit was not exactly fit for combat, especially on a modern battlefield where full armour was often required to survive - but each Royal Guardsman had to pass strict training and filtering, resulting in the defenders of the Royal family being some of the best soldiers Mobius had to offer. The two soldiers before them seemed a mismatched pair, one a clearly panicked, thin, brown coyote who hid a tuft of blonde hair arranged in a curtain under his helmet. The other was a rather dashing looking skunk (a contradiction if ever there was one in Sally's own opinion) with defined features and an air of confidence about him. Sally recognized them as Antoine D'Coolette and Geoffrey St. John respectively, guards who had been working in the castle for a couple of years now.

"Your highnesses! You must come quickly! 'Is highness iz in the DCC receiving a communication; apparently from ze one responsible for this!" Antoine spluttered out breathlessly in his thick Mercian accent.

Sally nodded, "Lead the way, guardsman."

The four of them made their way through the ancient hallways of the castle, man-servants and maids scurrying about in a panic while Royal Guardsmen rushed towards the same destination, the front courtyard to see off any invaders threatening the castle if the queen and princesses' escorts were to be believed.

Soon the four of them found themselves in the Defense Coordination Centre in the basement levels of the castle. It was a vast circular room with a high ceiling. The lights were lowered, and all around were monitors and consoles manned by Royal Army operators, who were tapping away frantically on their station's haptic interfaces (holographic keypads that could be physically interacted with). They were desperately trying to regain control of the situation, or at least determine exactly _what_ that situation was. Sally couldn't see the operator's screens very well, but what she could see pointed to one thing. Chaos. Not only in Mobotropolis, but the entire kingdom.

Antoine and Geoffrey lead the queen and princess to the front of the room, where in front of a large screen blanketed with static stood the king, Maximillian Acorn and his son the prince, Elias Acorn. Maximillian wasn't all that old (only his mid-fifties) but looked rather frail looking, with a thin body and limbs like twigs. The side effect of a hard, stress filled life. However, the entire castle knew that appearances were decieving in this case. The king had a regal look about him; steely blue eyes, a thin silvery moustache framed by brown fur, his long fox-like tail neatly brushed. His stance also spoke of his status, he stood with a regal bearing. He was completed by his clothing, an elaborate royal blue jacket and trousers laced with gold and red and a beautiful crown encrusted with jewels atop his head. The Crown of Acorns, said to have magical powers. Sally wasn't too sure about that though; she believed in science, things she could see, not hocus pocus.

The king's son was, if anything, just as impressive a specimen as his father. Indeed Elias could have been mistaken for the king's younger self if not for the complete lack of moustache and the possession of some of the queen's more defining features, his eyes a purer blue than his father's, a shock of red hair as opposed to his fathers now silver but formerly dark brown hair. He also had a much broader figure than his father although he was still hardly buff, he had more wiry build. He wore similar clothes to Maximillian, only less elaborate embroidery and without a crown. Instead, he had a sword strapped to his side. It had a thin graceful blade, a few runes in the ancient mobian language carved in towards the base of the blade. The guard was diamond shaped and was surprisingly simple, although it was gold plated. The handle was most simple of all, a treated wood that some how withstood the ravages of time that tore at the ancient sword. The Sword of Acorns. It was also said to be magical, although the only thing that science could say with certainty was the sword was over a millenia old and was made of a substance known as Chaos Steel, an extremely rare substance that was incredibly durable and had some rather... unusual properties. Most notably it could stabilise the powers of those whose powers were unstable by strengthening their Streams to the Chaos Force, the source of all Chaos energy, the lifeblood of the planet.

The four of them fell in behind the king and prince, as they both grimaced at the screen. The king turned on a nearby technician, a raccoon that was tapping furiously at his console.

"You there, why haven't you cleaned up this signal yet?" the king demanded.

The rather flustered looking raccoon replied quickly, "I'm sorry, your highness. An unidentified air cruiser has flown into our airspace. Its jamming our co-... Oh."

"What is it?" asked Elias.

The raccoon didn't turn from his console when he replied, too engrossed with the new development, "A single frequency just opened up, your highness; no jamming at all."

"Like an invitation..." muttered Sally.

Geoffrey nodded with a grim look upon his face, "Gotta agree there, highness. Hate feelin' so... controlled," said the skunk in a slight Downundan accent.

"I'm tapping into the new frequency now, highnesses," reported the raccoon.

The screen flickered for a moment before it finally gained a clear signal showing a portly overlander on the screen. The man looked to be in his early forties, had a completely bald head with the exception of a rather impressively sized red-brown moustache, a pair of round glasses and a pair of goggles across his forehead. He wore a unique red jacket with silver straps and gold fascinings with black trousers and white gloves rounding out his unusual attire. He had a devious smile spread across his face as he ran his fingers through his moustache.

"Ah your _highness_. What an honour," he smirked.

Everyone in the DCC immediately recognized him.

"Doctor Eggman!" exclaimed Sally.

Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik was a very well known figure throughout Mobius. Six years previous, he had declared war against the mobian race, although he was hardly kind to his overlander brethren either. He had built a facility known as the 'Scrap Brain' and launched a robotic invasion of South Island, largest of the Blur Islands off the coast a mere eighty miles away from Mobotropolis. The military had obviously taken this threat very seriously but when the fleet they dispatched arrived at the island, they found only the wreckage of the robotic invaders and the facilities they attacked from. At the epicentre of the destruction they found a twelve year old blue hedgehog named Sonic Dalian who introduces himself as Sonic the Hedgehog. The child had been responsible for the doctor's defeat, thanks to his Chaos-enhanced speed. In fact, he was so fast that today he holds the title of 'Fastest Thing Alive' and gained titles such as 'The Blue Blur'. Unfortunately, the doctor escaped his defeat at South Island and later went onto invade another of the Blur Islands, Westside Island, where he was foiled again by Sonic. Eggman went onto launch attacks all over Mobius. Sometimes he was stopped by the military, but usually it was Sonic. Angel Island, the United Federation, Spagonia, Adabat, Apotos, Mazuri, even an amusement park in _orbit_, Sonic had defeated him in all of those places and more. Eggman had fallen off the grid after his defeat at his 'Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park' for a couple of years; the Secret Service had assumed he was killed in the explosion of the park.

The very same Doctor sneered down at the princess, "How very astute."

"Don't talk to her like that!" snarled the king, "Why have you done this? You risk the full might of the Royal Army!"

Eggman's sneer returned, "Oh, you mean this army?"

The screen's image changed to show a military base. It nearly utterly destroyed. Tanks and mechs lay burning, their parts strewn about the base. Charred corpses of troopers were scattered around, many without their armour in their mad dash to defend their base. Some lay in a pool of blood when they had been struck by several bullets. Others were missing limbs, having been struck down by shrapnel or massive explosive force. Many were barely even recognizable as mobian anymore. The screen switched to another base in a similar state. Then another. And another. The royals could only watch helplessly as they saw that every single base, stronghold and fleet they had had been destroyed.

The screen switched back to the doctor, "So tell me Maximillian, what am I risking the wrath of exactly?"

The king was speechless, "How... How can this... be?"

The doctor looked incredibly pleased with himself, "Careful planning, the construction of new mech designs and a _simultaneous _strike on your entire military intrastructure. Now all that remains is take control of your cities, and I won't just have Eggmanland, I'll have an entire _planet_ to call my own!"

Elias spoke up, raising one eyebrow at the doctor, "You really think you'll still get away with this? There are thousands of streamers all over the world. Such as the likes of Team Sonic."

The doctor only smirked back, "I've taken plenty of precautions this time, princeling. They won't be a problem."

This time it was someone other than Eggman's turn to smirk as Elias replied, "You say that and yet, you've failed in this exact goal more times than I care to count," the prince crossed his arms, "I highly doubt this will be any different."

Eggman scowled back, "We'll see, runt," he said in a low, dangerous voice. The doctor disappeared from the screen.

"He's cut off the transmission, your highnesses. If you don't mind my saying, you really struck a nerve there, Prince Elias."

Sally smiled, "He must be a sore loser." Elias chuckled.

Meanwhile, the king was deep in thought. The only defense the city had at the moment we're the Mobotropolis Police Department and his own Royal Guards. The police's lightly armed and armoured officers and security mechs would be no match for the exotic and advanced combat mechs that Eggman would likely send against the city. Meanwhile, his Royal Guards could stand against them... If there were more of them. They only number a hundred at any time and that was counting the ones that were at their homes; there were only forty-five in the castle at that moment. Forty-five to protect a city of six million... There only seemed to be one solution.

"Mechanic," the king spoke, "Is the emergency broadcast system still running?"

The raccoon only nodded.

"Good, I need to address the people."

"I'll patch you in your highness, just speak into this mic here... Okay. You're live in three, two..."

Maximillian leaned into the microphone. As he spoke, every television, every radio, every electronic bulletin board suddenly turned to the king's grave face. All over Mobius, frightened families huddled together for comfort in their homes looked to the screens, to hear what their leader had to say. What they could do, how they could win. To have hope.

"People of Mobius. Young and old, men and women, mobians and overlanders. I'm afraid this is a dark day for our kingdom. Moments ago, were attacked on all side by forces of the self-styled Eggman 'Empire'. The strike was brutal and exacting; we cannot at this moment retaliate. As I speak, his army bears down on Mobotropolis. The castle will soon be overrun.

But I assure you all, there is hope. For now, we make our escape. If you live in a major population centre, I suggest you do the same; the police force and what remains of our military will do their utmost to protect you. We will then gather our strength and strike back at Eggman.

The Doctor thinks he has already won. That we have no way of even slowing him down. I think he has underestimated the tenacity and vigour of the mobian people. He does not realise what it means to fight for a true, righteous cause! What it means to fight for his home, his family! It is his greatest weakness. But we all have that fire within us. We will strike everywhere and be nowhere, we will make the doctor regret the day he even entertained the thought of his own empire!

Good luck, and may you shelter Aurora in your soul."

Maximillian stepped away from the mic. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his wife staring at him, her eyes shining.

"That was a truly inspiring speech, love."

Sally only looked on in concern, "We're going to make a break for Knothole, Dad?"

"Yes we are. Mechanic, do you have any information on the situation outside?"

The raccoon technician stared at his screen gravely, "Looks like there are Eggman mechs already inside the city. All over it in fact. Its unclear on what type they are though..."

"WHAT?" spat the king.

Alicia rested her hand on her forehead, "How can they be inside the city already?"

"Perhaps that air cruiser deployed drop pods?" suggested Sally.

The raccoon shook his head, "That air cruiser won't be directly over the city for another six minutes. They were deployed some other way."

"Regardless, we must move!" exclaimed Elias as he swiped his hand, "Father?"

The group turned to see Maximillian leaning on a nearby desk, his face etched with the very essence of fatigue.

"There's no choice," he muttered, no one else hearing him.

He then stood up straight, facing his family with his eyes burning with fiery determination.

"New plan," he began, "We split into two groups, at least one of us will be likely to make it. Elias, you will take young Geoffrey here and as many of the servants as you can find and take the north tunnel out of the city. Alicia and Sally, you will take Antoine here and do the same for the south. Head for Knothole once you are clear of the city. St. John, D'Coolette, I'm relying on the two of you to ensure they reach Knothole."

Alicia quickly spotted a glaring flaw in that particular plan.

"What about you Max? How will you be escaping?"

The king could barely look his wife in the eye.

"I won't be."

Alicia took a step back, "What do you mean? Max. Look at me."

The king looked up and stared into his wife's sapphire eyes, glistening with concern. When he spoke his words were strained,

"If what the young man here says is true, then Eggman's forces will assault these walls within minutes. Someone must command the Royal Guard here to hold off the mechs as long as possible."

Elias shook his head frantically, "The Guards already have a commander on duty, father. Lieutenant Granis is-"

"Untested and inexperienced!" the king interrupted, "The Guard need to hold as long possible to allow you all a chance to escape. They need an experienced commander to do that."

Tears fell down Alicia's face, her head bowed. The king approached his wife and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"This will not be the end my love," he whispered whilst running his fingers through her hair, "I'm too valuable to the doctor alive. We will see each other again."

His wife's reply was barely more than a whisper but stopped Max's heart cold, "I'm staying."

She looked up at her husband and their eyes met. Tears had already rolled their way down her cheeks but the resolve now present in her gaze burned through any sadness that had existed before. She wasn't going anywhere. Ever.

"I'll never leave your side."

Maximillian only looked in his wife's eyes and he realised what a fool he had been to think she would go anywhere. In all their twenty years of marriage, through thick and thin, through celebration and controversy she had been at his side. He should have known she wouldn't leave his side now. The two closed their eyes and leaned their heads against each other's.

"Naturally, my queen."

Meanwhile, the couple's children were reeling, unable to believe what they were hearing.

"M-Mom, Dad, you can't!" exclaimed Sally, "It's too dangerous! What if he-"

Alicia raised her hand, quelling her daughter, "Sweetheart, I promise we'll be fine. As your father said, we're too valuable to toss aside."

"What if he decides he only needs one of you then?" protested Elias.

Maximillian's face hardened, "Then he will lose us both. I'd rather die than live on without my queen." His hand and wife's interlocked as she nodded in agreement.

Sally took a step back tears welling in her eyes, "But... I... You can't."

The king approached Sally and cupped her cheek, "My daughter... Sally... Please do what I ask, save the people. Not only those in the castle today, I know that you and your brother have it in you to save our entire kingdom in time. But to do that, you must escape here and now. So please my sweet, go out there and do us proud. I love you, and I'm sorry for... for everything," he punctuated his speech with a gentle kiss to his daughter's forehead. She looked up at her father, her eyes shimmering.

"Daddy..."

A canine operator yelled over frantically at the heartbroken family, "Your highness! The hostile air cruiser is over the city! Its deploying pods and drop ships!"

The king turned and faced the operators still tapping away at their consoles, keeping tabs on the situation as best they could.

"Now is the only time, if any of you wish to escape then follow my daughter or my son and no one will think any less of you. They are taking different routes, but their destination will be the same."

A moment passed and not one of them moved.

"None of you?" asked the king.

"Our place is here, king," spoke the raccoon operator with a smile.

Max only smiled back and turned to his family, placing hands on the shoulders of his children.

"Its time. Go, and don't take too long coming back, hm?"

Elias gave a sad smile, "We'll be back quicker than Sonic the Hedgehog himself."

"I should hope so," spoke Alicia through rapidly growing tears, "I love you both too much to wait any longer."

The mother pulled her children into one last hug, trying to imbue it with the warmth and joy of all the time they would have had together had they not been separated.

The children separated from their mother, "Come on Sally," said Elias. The pair took one last look at their parents and ran out of the DCC.

"Alright," began Sally, "You go gather people in the west wing of the castle, I'll go to the east. Head straight for the north tunnel, don't bother trying to meet up or anything. We'll see each other at Knothole. Agreed?"

"Agreed sis. See you soon," and with that, Elias took off to the west wing.

Sally broke into a run in the opposite direction, checking every room as she went. Anyone she found cowering inside, she told to head for the wine cellar. It took her twenty minutes to sweep her half of the castle by which time she began to hear the worryingly close sounds of gunfire echoing outside. It was also getting louder.

Having searched all the rooms, Sally practically sprinted towards the wine cellar where all told she found a crowd of around thirty people amoung which were her old nanny Rosie and the royal hairdresser's assistant and Sally's closest friend, Bunnie Rabbot.

The tall, teenage and blonde furred Southern Belle of a rabbit rushed up to the princess, still wearing her crimson servant's uniform,"Why're we down here Sally-girl? If Eggman's clunkers find us here we'll be sunk quicker than a row-boat full a' anvils!"

"Relax Bunnie, I got a plan."

Sally walked to the back of the cellar, dropped to a knee and started feeling around the floor. Rosie approached the princess,

"What are you looking for, dear?" the old, kindly chipmunk asked.

Sally said nothing for a moment other annoyed mumblings, "Come on... where is it, I thought it was right there... Where's that SOB handle?" she continued to feel around, confident that her former nanny hadn't heard her distinctly un-ladylike language (unfortunately she had) until her fingers brushed an indent in the floor. Sally slid her fingers inside and pulled, lifting a hatch in the floor. The crowd behind crowed in amazement as a surprisingly large, dimly lit tunnel was revealed. The princess turned to the crowd,

"This tunnel leads all the way to the secret forest sanctuary of Knothole. There is food, water, shelter and a substantial military presence. We'll be safe there."

The previously frightened visages of the people in the group visibly brightened at this new development and they all began to file in. Once they were all inside, Sally followed. Before she proceeded far into the tunnel however, she pressed a button on a panel just inside the entrance and a thirty second timer began counting down. The group continued down the tunnel and were around seventy metres away when a series of shaped charges went off at the mouth of the tunnel, collapsing the entrance and effectively sealing it, leaving only the dim light of the old wall lighting to keep them from darkness.

Sally took at a moment to stare at the pile of debris at the entrance. In a way what she just saw was the collapse of her old life, a life of being prim, of being proper, being pampered, of being a princess. It was also the beginning of something new, the beginning of something that would define her as a person and as a princess. She knew what had to be done, she knew what her father referred to in his public speech. 'To fight for a true and righteous cause'. He did not intend to roll over let Eggman win. He intended to fight, he intended to form a Resistance.

Sally didn't intend to let Eggman win either. Eggman had no idea what he had started. Any sadness that had remained in Sally's body began to be replaced by cold yet white hot _hatred._ Oh yes, Eggman would pay. She would form an army, she would take back what belonged to her family and she would ensure that Eggman would the first person to be executed in the Kingdom of Acorn in two hundred years.

Her resolve now harder than ever, Sally walked after her people into the dark recesses of the tunnel and into a whole new life.

Royal Codex circa 1273 AU (2184 AD)

Entry: The Kingdom of Mobius – Present Day (excerpt from full article)

Today, The Kingdom of Mobius covers around 65% of the total landmass of the planet, including the entire western hemisphere (with the exception of around a hundred square miles of the United Federation). The recent census polls puts the population at approximately 6.5 billion, 6.1 billion of them being of the mobian species, the rest overlander. Amazingly this accounts for 84% of the _entire_ mobian species under one banner, with the rest mostly being found in the comparatively small Dragon Kingdom.

The Kingdom today consists mostly of large technologically advanced cities surrounded by smaller, more 'down to earth' towns. Rural populations are generally quite small thanks to the mobian of wanting to be around their brethren, not appreciating their 'alone time' as much as overlanders.

In terms of technology, the mobians have finally caught up with their overlander neighbours. They possess advanced microchip based technology and various forms of electronic entertainment such as television and video games have exploded in popularity in the past fifty years. Each city's internal system is occupied by a central 'dumb' AI system that controls menial but important tasks such as traffic signals, call direction and public terminals.

The Kingdom of Mobius has a standing army of around twenty million full time personnel with nearly eighty million trained as reservists. They have access to the resources of what is generally agreed to be the most advanced and well-funded army on Mobius. With everything from the accurate reliable bullpup style assault rifles that the troopers use, to the agile Gazelle LAAVs, the tough Ithfir MBTs, the Zephyr modular VTOLs and the imposing Iblis assault walkers, the Kingdom maintains a strong military as a deterrant to the overlanders of the United Federation, with whom relations are still frosty at best since the Great War.

**A/N: Look! Codex entries! Y'know, 'cause Sonic Chronicles had a codex! I'm gonna have one of these at the end of every chapter for a bit of extra world-building; and before anyone asks, yes I got the idea from DinoJake's The Last Spartan (which is a fantastic fic by the way).**

**Hope you liked the chapter, if not let me know why. If you did like it, I'd like to why on that too. Constructive reviews are always appreciated and I'll do my best to reply them.**

**Also, I don't think other chapters will be as long as this, I just had a lot of information to put out in this one.**

**Anyway, hope to see you all next time!**


	2. From Above

**Hey hey, we're back! A quick thing before we start, I'm changing the character's ages a bit. The entire main cast (e.g. Sonic, Blaze, Sally etc.) will be 18-19 years old with the exception of Tails and Marine, who are both 15. The fully grown adult characters like Vanilla's ages remain unchanged as does Cream's age; she's still six. Considering how much the situation will escalate later on, the age rises will make sense, trust me. Also if you have any questions about the world or backstory or whatever just shoot me a message and I'll do my best to fill you in (unless its a spoiler). Lots of themes for you folks today too.**

**Foo Fighters: The Sign (Theme of Sonic)**

**All Time Low: Guts (Theme of Tails)**

**Zebrahead: Stick 'em up Kid! (Theme of Knuckles)**

**Hey Monday: Run, Don't Walk (Theme of Amy)**

**Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) OST: Sonic Appears (Convoy Battle)**

**And for fun... Foo Fighters: Walking A Line**

**Chapter 1: From Above**

_Three Months Later, Near Sandblast, Mirage province..._

Dark grey clouds hung in the sky, pouring heavy rain onto an entirely mechanized convoy as it rolled its way down a narrow canyon. The convoy bore the red, gold and black colours of the newly founded Eggman Empire. The heavy duty trucks that made up the convoy bore a deadly toxic waste, a byproduct the region's nuclear power plant and bound for a landfill in the Green Hills. The convoy's escort, consisting of orange, rotund and somewhat comical looking Egg Pawns carrying simple wrist mounted 9mm firearms called 'wristshots', and the more imposing Egg Grunts, tall humanoid robots adorned in angular black armour with red underplating carrying specially designed rapid fire gauss rifles.

The guards kept a sharp lookout for any ambushes or the like. There had been many reports of insurgent activity in the area and it was important that this convoy wasn't stopped. The plant was downright out of storage for its toxic byproduct; it had to be shipped out or the plant's reactors would have to be shut down to prevent any further build up. However, as sharp as their lookout was, the 'bots failed to notice a rapidly approaching blue blur.

The blur collided with the lead vehicle at an unimaginable speed, tearing through the engine block and bringing it to a stop, blocking the rest of the convoy. The Egg Grunts reacted quickly by opening fire on the blur from their vantage points on top of the trucks, meanwhile the Egg Pawns were still processing that the convoy was under attack. The blur was now running along the walls of the canyon, the Grunts' fire hot on its heels but never quite reaching it. The blur was simply moving too fast for the robots targeting suites to track.

Meanwhile, the Egg Pawns had finally pieced together what was becoming patently obvious and aimed their wristshots at the rampaging blur before they were well and truly one-upped by a new arrival. A yellow fox flew above the convoy, using his twin-tails like a rotor. He tapped a small synthetic attachment on the side his head and a green, rectangular mono-visor flicked out of it, providing the fox with a heads up display that quickly targeted all the Egg Pawns before him. The newcomer raised his left arm, revealing his own wrist shot and he squeezed the trigger on his palm. A salvo of micro-rockets hurtled out of the fox's weapon, each one streaking straight for its choice Pawn, obliterating each one on impact but only leaving a slight charring on the trucks they used to occupy. The Grunts turned their attention to the little yellow gunship that had destroyed their, albeit meager, backup and opened fire with their massive gauss rifles. In response, the fox raised his wristshot, creating a yellow, oval energy shield that blocked the incoming fire. Nevertheless, the fox backed off.

The trucks at the rear of convoy had begun to backup, out of the canyon and away from the rapidly escalating battle in front of them. Unbeknownst to them, a male, red echnidna and a female, pink hedgehog were lying in wait at either side of the entrance to the canyon. As the vehicles grew close to their escape the two burst out of their hiding spots and slammed the canyon walls, the echidna with his large, spiked fists and the hedgehog with a ludicrously sized red and yellow hammer. The massive force shattered large parts of the rocky canyon, the loose pieces falling down and blocking the canyon exit and the convoy's escape. Two squads of Grunts broke off from the fight with the blur and the fox and rushed for the site of the landslide with explosive charges, intent on clearing the way for their charges' escape.

Before they even made it close however, the hedgehog and echidna dropped down in front them, blocking their way. They raised their weapons, the hedgehog's hammer, and the echidna who had attached a pair of sharp claw-like knuckledusters, shovel claws, to his fists. The two didn't move, they stood there as if daring the Grunts to come closer. The robots however had no interest in a showdown and opened fire with their rifles. The two mobians reacted quickly, rushing forward with the incoming slugs bouncing off wispy barriers the same colour as their fur as the slugs made impact. Once they had closed the gap, they got to work.

The hedgehog swung her hammer, the poor 'bot it hit reacting like it had been side-swiped by a train, its components flying off to one side. She repeated this with two more before she swung her hammer in the air with a flourish, sending pink, heart shaped missiles at a duo of Grunts taking cover behind a rocky outcropping. The Storming Hearts attack detonated with great effect, destroying the rocks and the robots they were sheltering. The hedgehog then leapt into the air, flipping as she flew forward and swung her hammer downward as she landed, crushing the last robot in the squad like a tin can under a car tyre.

While this was happening, the echidna was left to deal with the second Grunt squad. He charged into a pair of them whilst swinging an uppercut, knocking them both spinning into the air. The echidna used his upward momentum to follow them, once he was level with them he swung downwards, sending one crashing into the ground, forming a small crater filled with scrap metal. As for the second, he raised his hand and a glowing green ball formed in his palm. He slapped it into the chest of the robot, where it stuck, and kicked the robot into his four remaining companions, who were on one knee firing at the echidna. As soon as the flung robot grew close to its allies, the Chaos Grenade exploded, incinerating all five of them.

With their jobs done, the duo took a deep breath and made their way over to each other, the hedgehog grinning and the echidna sporting a small smirk that somehow still managed to look serious. They looked over at the continuing battle at the fore of the convoy.

"Looks like we're just waiting on the tickle twins over there," observed the echidna.

The hedgehog shot the echidna a disapproving look, "Don't be mean. They're like brothers, not like that."

"I was just kidding, relax. Besides, we did just take out a dozen Grunts inside of five seconds, and they're still fighting. I mean, _I'd_ be done by now!"

"They have more to deal with than we did," the hedgehog lamented, "I wish we could help them out."

This time, the echidna fired the disapproving stare, "We gotta stick to the plan, we just got to keep them from escaping. Don't worry about those two, they've fought their way out of way more."

The hedgehog sighed and looked at her feet, "Its not that... Its just... We'd be done so much _quicker_! I wanna go home, its so hot out here!"

The echidna rubbed his head, "_Really?_"

Meanwhile, the blur had finally slowed down revealing that he was in fact a male blue hedgehog. Beside him the fox had landed, shield still raised. In addition, he now wielded a long flail with a glowing, golden ring on the business end. The remained Egg Grunts closed in and unlike their two companions, the hedgehog and fox didn't bother with a fighting stance. Instead the fox wound up his weapon arm before slinging it forward, casting his Boomering. At the same time, the hedgehog curled into a ball and spun in place, revving up faster and faster until he became nothing but a blue ball. As soon as the fox attacked, the hedgehog shot forward, straight into a trio of Grunts the Spindash sending them flying away with one or more limbs missing. The Boomering struck a Grunt, burning through it and turning its entire midriff into hot slag, the fox then spun the Boomering over his head and swept it across a row of Grunts, doing the same to a good half a dozen more. The remaining dozen Grunts, tightened up and concentrated fire on the fox who they now perceived as the greatest threat. The first few shots were deflected by a yellow body shield similar to those that his companions had, before he raised his wristshield again, nearly collasping under the sheer weight of fire he was suffering.

The hedgehog saw this and his face tightened in a snarl, "HEY! Leave my l'il buddy alone! Air Lash!"

The hedgehog leapt into the air and performed an aerial flip, kicking out as he reoriented. This launched a blue wave of forceful and razor sharp wind that tore towards the remaining 'bots. Upon impact, it whipped up a vicious whirlwind that ripped most of the robots apart. When it died down, only two Grunts remained and they were knocked to the ground without their weapons. When one tried to reach for its rifle, the fox quickly deactivated his shield and aimed his wristshot, firing a high intensity laser that cut both Grunts in half.

Silence descended on the canyon. The duo just stood there, the hedgehog looking quite pleased with himself and the fox just looking... tired. The silence was interrupted when the metallic clangs of their two teammates running along the tops of the trucks to reach them reached their ears. The two arrived, with the echidna prodding a severed robotic torso with his foot.

"Do you have a thing for cutting robots in half, man?" he asked, "There's nine torsos here."

The fox only shrugged, "Its effective."

Meanwhile, the blue hedgehog had jumped down to the driver's door of the truck and opened it, revealing a terrified mobian ferret. The ferret scrambled towards the opposite door in a vain attempt to escape.

"P-Please don't hurt me! I didn't have a choice! Its just a job! Don't hurt me, donthurtmedonthurtmedonthurtme!"

The echidna had since joined the blue mobian, "Not good enough, lemme paste him!"

"EEK!"

The hedgehog raised a hand to stop his impetuous friend, "Wait. Hey buddy, why didn't you have a choice?"

The ferret calmed down a little, "They said that unless I kept shipping this nuclear shit to the landfill they'd take my kids! Same with the other guys here," the ferret explained, motioning towards the other trucks. There was no lie in the poor mobian's eyes.

The hedgehog cocked his head, "Kinda extreme for missing a trash delivery."

"Getting rid of this stuff is important!" the fox called from above, "It builds up too much and they have to shut the place down."

"Oh right, right," nodded the hedgehog.

"Anyway, please don't hurt us," the ferret continued, "Like I said, we got no choice!"

The hedgehog grinned, "Don't worry about it dude, I get it. You're free to go."

A relieved grin practically divided the ferret's face in two, "Oh thank you, thank you! I'm so- Wait. I've seen you before..." the ferret searched his memory for a moment before it finally came to him, "Hey, I've seen you on the news! Aren't you Sonic the Hedgehog?!"

"Oh boy here we go..." muttered the echidna.

The hedgehog simply grinned and struck a pose, "That I am!"

And indeed he was. The legendary hero stood tall and sported long royal blue quills that reached the middle of his back, emerald green eyes and a face that landed him at the number four slot of Lips magazine's Top Fifty Sexiest Men Alive list just five months previous. He wore a blue hooded sweater with a brown leather jacket over it, a pair of his favourite (and only) white gloves, a pair of torn blue jeans and his iconic red shoes with a silvery white stripe.

The ferret quickly turned from concerned family man to gushing fan-boy, "Oh my gosh! It really _is_ you! Can I have your autograph?!"

The ferret quickly produced out a notebook and pen out of his glovebox that Sonic signed whilst chuckling to himself. The ferret turned his attention to the echidna, "That means that you're Knuckles Albion right?"

Knuckles rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, that's me."

The ferret was about to burst with excitement, "Andandand that means the other two," the fox and pink hedgehog hopped off the truck landed next to their companions, "That means you're Tails and Amy Rose! W-Wow... just..."

The ferret lost all power of speech and stared wide eyed at the quartet, getting a good look at them in an attempt to forever burn that moment into his brain. Knuckles was just as tall his blue friend and had red dreads that reached his shoulders. His eyes were the colour of amethysts and his face spoke of a lifetime of 'not taking an ounce of crap' as he would put it. He wore a black muscle shirt and tan cargos with white mitts and unusual shoes of red, yellow and green that appeared to be held together by rivets.

Miles "Tails" Prower stood much shorter than his male friends, partially due to his younger age of fifteen. He had a kind face only slightly obscured by a trio of bangs that nearly reached his sapphire eyes. He had an open red button-up shirt with a grey t-shirt underneath and a pair of black three-quarter length cargos. A pair of white gloves and red and white shoes rounded out his clothing. Easily the most defining feature about his appearance however was the twin, bushy fox tails; a birth defect that had gotten much abuse over the years. Since he learned to use them to fly and fight however, they became less a defect and more 'the best thing that had ever happened to him'.

Amy stood as short as Tails despite only being a year younger than Sonic and Knuckles. She had grown her pink quills out somewhat since her last great adventure with the blue blur, now reaching down to her waist. She still wore her red hairband though, resulting in bangs that framed her eyes that were as green as her fellow hedgehog's. Anyone you could ask would agree that Amy was a very pretty girl, despite the imposing hammer she wielded. She wore a small pink jacket with a white top that had a red heart in the middle of it. Along side her white gloves with gold bracelets and her jean shorts, she had a pair of red boots with a white stripe up the middle.

The ferret bounced up and down in his seat, "This is so cool! All of you, here! But..."

Amy stepped forward, a kind look on her face, "But what?"

"Where... Where were you all?!" the ferret turned again from gushing fanboy back to concerned family man, "I mean, Eggman took over and you just let it happen! Why didn't you stop him?"

Tails gave a tired sigh and Sonic rubbed the back of his neck and spoke, "We tried, dude. Eggman... He's got some crazy new shit; we just can't break the defenses on any of his bases."

At that moment a terrible, and familiar, wail filled the air.

"Speak of the devil," muttered Tails as he turned to the ferret, "Stay in your cab and stay low."

A trio of fighters entered their sight, the same oddly proportioned ones that attacked Mobotropolis. They swooped in low and as they drew close to the heroes they as one jerked in the air and fell to the ground, flipping as they did so. Metal twisted and reformed and by the time they hit the ground, they landed on two feet as twenty foot tall humanoid mechs. They looked similar to a hooded figure, a mask enclosing their 'faces' if they had them. A long green, glowing cloak of energy flowed behind them as they moved their red, black and gold bodies into a ready stance. The Egg Sky Hunters raised their weapons, a long, wrist mounted vibro-blade on one arm and an arm mounted 12mm cannon on the other. A telltale whine sounded from their weapons as they were about to fire.

The heroes leapt aside, dodging the fire that left a sizable crater where the heroes were a second ago. Tails took to the air as he raised his wristshot as his three allies charged the Sky Hunters. Naturally, Sonic reached his target first, hopping into the air, curling up and creating an air burst behind him, propelling him forward in an Homing Attack. He struck the chest of the Sky Hunter, sending it staggering backwards and leaving a sizeable dent in its chest. Sonic rushed forward to follow up, the robot flicked its cloak into Sonic's path, forcing the hedgehog to back-up. Sonic had found the hard way what would happen if he touched that cloak. It was actually a magnetically contained sheet of super-heated plasma, protecting it from attacks that had to pass through the cloak and hurting anyone who tried to get hands on. Sonic decided to change tactics, spinning his hand in tight circles as blue energy swirled around it. When it became intense, he cast his arm forwards, "Sonic Wind!"

This time the Sky Hunter was sent flying and hit a rock head first, damaging its optics. From its lying position it fired a cannon shot, forcing Sonic to dodge. The robot used this distraction to stand and raised its vibro-blade to block Sonic as he Spin Dashed towards it. The two clashed, yellow sparks flying from the blade and blue, wispy ones flying from the spinning hedgehog. Eventually, the robot span up its servos and gave powerful push, winning the clash and cutting the hedgehog across one of his quills. The hedgehog gave a yelp of pain and scowled at the Sky Hunter. He span up again but was time surrounded by a swirling cyan energy that eventually over took Sonic, turning him into a ball of light. With a cry of 'Lightspin!' he launched forward in a streak of pure chaos energy, colliding with the robot. The robot immediately crumbled, or rather disintegrated, into tiny cyan particles.

Sonic turned to his friends, who had their own opponents on the ropes thanks to Tails who kept flanking the robots from above, keeping them from adequately defending. Knuckles delivered a spinning uppercut whilst a glow with green chaos energy. The punch exploded on impact, literally knocking the Sky Hunter's block off. Amy meanwhile delivered a mighty swing to the final robot's leg joint, dropping it to one knee. With its comrades gone, the remaining Hunter calculated that it no chance of victory and but still had a chance of completing its secondary objective: See that the toxic waste is disposed of.

Just as Amy was about to deliver the finishing blow, the Sky Hunter raised its cannon and aimed for the lead truck in the convoy. It fired, the tungsten shell tearing through the vehicle, causing a massive explosion that spread to the next vehicle behind it, and then next, and the next in a deadly chain reaction caused by the volatile mixture they carried. By the time Amy crushed the robot's metal skull, the entire convoy as well as anyone still inside, was a smouldering heroes observed the calamity.

"Oh goddess," muttered Amy, tears rising in her eyes, "How could they... All those people..."

Knuckles only felt anger unlike Amy, "That's how Eggman's clunkers operate, no remorse. Just complete their objective by any means," he seethed.

"When they couldn't recapture the convoy," spoke a shaken Tails, "They must've been under orders to ensure the waste is destroyed. But this... All that waste will ruin the ecosystem around here."

Sonic simply angrily kicked a nearby boulder, putting large crack in it, "Let's get the fuck out of here!"

The four moved off, Sonic and Knuckles storming, Tails and Amy in a depressed shuffle. After about twenty minutes, they reached a disused farm. They advanced on a tattered barn that was probably red at some point. Or maybe yellow? It was impossible to tell now. The team opened the barn door and inside in sharp contrast to its destitute surroundings was a shining red bi-plane; an odd sight in an age of scram jets and VTOLs. Adorning the wings was a logo of a white circle underneath a pair of bushy yellow tails, Tails' own personal logo, fitting for the young fox's pride and joy; the Tornado. The group mounted up, Tails in the pilot's seat, Knuckles and Amy in the two passenger seats and Sonic who simply stood between the rear seats and the tail wing. He wasn't worried about being thrown off, the wind would keep him safe.

The plane's engines fired up, a low note that soon built into a much faster and louder drone. The Tornado taxied out of the barn and began to pick up speed on the field before it finally left the ground, immediately pointed its nose at a high angle to gain altitude for the long flight ahead of them. Even from their height however, the smell of smoke and decay was still conspicuous. The smell of death was even starting to poke its way through.

XxXxXxXxX

After a few hours, the Tornado burst through a formation of clouds, the heroes within shaking off the water picked up within.

"Tails, next time avoid the clouds please? I hate being wet," moaned Sonic.

"Quit bitching Sonic," retorted Knuckles, "That was a huge cloud, would've taken forever to go around it."

"We're in a plane, wise-ass. We could've gone above or below it!"

Tails had to bring an end to the current favourite for that year's 'Most Pointless Argument of the Year' award , "Guys? We're here?"

The two directed their attention forward and ahead lay their destination, a large jungle covered island with a huge ice capped peak in the centre. A remarkable sight on its own, only topped by the fact that the island itself was _floating_. The plane continued its flight towards Angel Island when Tails received a warning on his Miles Electric, a multi-purpose PDA that could affix to any of his pilotable creations.

_You are entering restricted air-space. Please transmit clearance code. Thirty seconds to comply._

Tails always felt a twinge when he saw this message, a representation of the measures he had to resort to since Eggman's takeover. He had installed a net of anti-air defenses all around the island to protect it from the Egg Fleet. It was rather over kill if Tails was honest; dozens of surface-to-air missile launchers, vulcan cannon turrets, fighter drones, even a pair of massive rail guns on either side of the island to protect against any Egg Carriers or their ilk that might turn up. And such defense were thirty seconds away from turning the Tornado into dust.

The fox tapped the Electric's screen a few times, sending the clearance code to the island. After a moment he received another message.

_Clearance code verified. Welcome back Tails._

"Why thank you," he muttered to himself with a small smile.

Soon, the Tornado had touched down on the island's runway and the foursome hopped out of the plane and towards their home, a two storey house that would've look fairly inconspicuous had it not been for the location. The house was only a year old, built after Knuckles finally accepted that it was okay to have his friends help protect the island and the power it contained. Not to mention the fact that a floating island that floated near to the very centre of Mobius Kingdom was a very handy base of operations for a group of heroes that might have to be anywhere at any time. Amy, however, was not a usual resident. She had been forced to flee her home in the outskirts of the Northern Mobian city of Freehold when it had fallen to Eggman. When she came to Team Sonic for help, they invited her to stay with them and help defeat Eggman. That last part hadn't exactly panned out though.

Once inside, the four separated to do their own things, Tails to his workshop, Amy to the spare room and Knuckles to the training room, presumably to beat a punching bag into submission. Sonic meanwhile plopped onto the couch and grabbed the TV remote.

_Wonder what the propaganda machine is barfin' out today..._

The news channel came on, a female purple parrot reading the news, "...This marks the fourth major victory that our valiant forces have achieved against the GUN. Reports have also come in of use of white phosphorous by GUN forces in direct contravention of intervention of international law. The Emperor has since vowed to step efforts to defeat the overlander invaders before this heinous weapon can be used again."

Sonic sighed, _Same old transparent shit. To think some people actually believe this. I mean, what would white phosphorous do to a robot exactly? Not to mention Eggy's turned on the United Federation now, things are getting worse by the day._

The news reader, "In other news, another patrol has gone missing in the Great Forest. Citizens are advised to avoid this area as recent illicit activities had made them extremely dangerous."

This perked up Sonic's interest. Illicit activity? What did that mean? The hedgehog supposed it was kept vague on purpose, but why? What was Eggman trying to hide?

Sonic stood and made his way towards Tails' workshop in the basement. The basement consisted of two parts, the workshop and an ops centre, containing a direct line to the Defense Coordination Centre in Mobotropolis and Guardian Units of Nations Command in Central City (both of which had been disturbingly silent for white a while) and a holographic projector that could be used to plan missions.

After carefully weaving his way around various contraptions and tools strewn about the workshop, Sonic found his adopted brother at his workbench, fiddling away at his wristshot.

"Hey Tails, we're goin' on a trip tomorrow!"

The fox jumped a little at the sudden intrustion, too absorbed in his work to notice Sonic's approach, "Whoa... uh, ahem. A trip where?"

Sonic crossed his arm and grinned, "The Great Forest. I wanna go get involved in some 'illicit activities'."

Tails looked at him incredulously, "Sonic, the Great Forest is massive. Its over a thousand miles deep, if you're looking for something in particular, it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Sonic chuckled, "I know, l'il bud. That's why I've got a good feeling about this."

XxXxXxXxX

Royal Codex circa 1273 AU (2584 AD)

_Entry: Chaos Channelers / 'Streamers'_

Chaos Channelers, or 'Streamers' as they are colloquially known, are individuals that are born with the ability to channel the energies (or Streams) of the Chaos Force through their bodies to achieve various effects. Streamers' powers can be either passive (they are always active and enhance the streamer physically) or invoked (they create an external effect, such as the ability to summon and control fire). All Streamers share certain passive powers, including enhanced strength, speed and agility although to what degree these traits are enhanced varies from person to person. Another passive trait is extreme resistance to injury; streamers have near unbreakable bones, rapidly regenerating tissue and can shrug off blood loss far more readily than regular people. It is nearly impossible to kill a streamer short of outright destruction of a major organ. Streamers differ greatly in power from one to the other, measured in Classes (Class 1 being the lowest, Class 12 the highest). When a streamer is particularly adept with a particular power, they are said to have an 'Affinity' for that power. Some of the most commonly occuring affinities are the following:

Speed, the ability to move limbs quickly to run, kick or punch very quickly.

Strength, capable of legendary feats of strength.

Intellect, the possession of an intellect beyond that which is technically possible, e.g. 300+.

Neutral, the ability to channel pure chaos energy to slow down time in a local area or use as a weapon.

Focus, the ability to slow down the user's _perception_ of time, allowing them time to line up the perfect shot or closely assess a situation within a split second.

Summon, the power summon items to assist the user or even summon a Chaos Elemental (a creature of pure energy that is given temporary form and life by the summoner).

Flight, the ability to fly in direct contravention of the laws of physics, Miles "Tails" Prower is easily the best example of this affinity.

Telekinesis, the power to manipulate mundane objects by manipulating gravitational fields around them.

Fire/Ice/Water/Electricity/Wind/Sound, the ability to summon and manipulate their respective element.

There are other affinities, it could technically be _anything_, but these are by far the most common.

Most streamers are mobian, with them not being nearly as common amongst overlanders. There is a theory surrounding this; Mobius appears to lie in a spot where the barrier between normal space and the Chaos Force is particularly weak, causing Chaos energy to leak out in larger quantities than elsewhere. This results in the beings birthed by that planet being particularly acclimatized to Chaos energy. Since overlanders are not from Mobius, having only arrived on Mobius only 450 years ago, they don't have the same affinity for Chaos energy that native mobians do.

**Big codex entry this time, huh? I guess streamers are important given that the ENTIRE main cast are streamers. This chapter marked my first ever full blown fight scene that I've written so how about that! Also may have noticed I changed the AD year in the codex as well. It being 2184 AD was a mistake on my part, the year for humans is 2584 (that may be relevant WAY down the line). Anyway I really did mean what I said up top, any questions about any backstory or lore stuff, just ask and I'll answer if its not too spoilery. Is spoilery a word? Beh, it is now.**

**Anyhoo, next chapter we head to the Sol Dimension so see ya next time and don't forget to review before you go! Unless you're crazy in which case it's fine...**


	3. Knights of Soleanna

**Phew! Sorry this took so long but this was a dozy to write. And too much Destiny... Not to mention that this is by far the longest chapter yet. Actually its kind of too long if I'm honest... But I had a lot to get out! Also this chapter marks the introduction of a bunch of OC's, a few of which will be prominent members of the supporting cast and one of which will be a main character. Now before anyone goes 'O ma gerd! OC's, ru1nd forevur!' just... give them a chance okay? I put a lot of thought into these guys. **

**And fun fact, this is uploaded on Halloween despite not being Halloween related in anyway! Other than the fact that this is by far the most violent chapter so far...**

Evanescence: What You Want (Theme of Blaze)

Trapt: Echo (Theme of Silver)

Paramore: Ain't It Fun (Theme of Marine)

Crossfade: No Giving Up (Theme of Dax)

And for fun... Digital Summer: Playing the Saint

Chapter 2: Knights of Soleanna

As Sonic's world fell into chaos, a dimension away an entirely different journey was beginning. Different, but not at all separate...

XxXxXxXxX

Breep, beep.

Breep, beep.

Breep, beep.

In a bedroom in the middle of a sleepy suburb, a lumpy mass on the bed stirred, a low groan emitting from it. It ignored the incessant beeping of its alarm, before it finally poked its head from underneath the sheets, revealing a male mobian dog of taller than average height. The bleary dog fumbled at the top of his alarm, looking for the snooze button. Soon he found his goal, silencing the clock, and went back to sleep. Not a minute later, a loud rapid knocking came at his door,

"Dax? Dax? DAX!"

The final shout of the dog called Dax's name suddenly and violently roused the dog. He jumped in alarm and fell out of the bed, rubbing his head as he regained his feet.

"Oof! Oooh... C'mon Dad, just a few more minutes?"

"I'm not falling for that again," came the reply, "Get ready, we're leaving in an hour and Buster is already waiting downstairs."

The mention of his friend's name perked Dax up. He made his way to the small en suite bathroom in his room and hopped in the shower. Once done, he brushed his teeth and observed his visage in the mirror, to ensure he looked presentable for the day ahead of him. He had light brown fur and a shaggy black muzzle. Adorning his head was a mess of jet black hair, stuck in a permanent bed-head something he tried to remedy for the thousandth time using a comb, only for it to pop back right to its previous pattern. His tail was long, black at the tip and somewhat bushy, though no where near as much as a fox or raccoon. Easily the most distinguishing feature about Dax were his irises, a deep orange that was so vibrant that in the right light they even appeared to glow.

After one last attempt to tame his hair with hair gel (after which it just twanged back into place again), Dax returned to the bedroom proper and got dressed. A white t-shirt with a red silhouette of a superhero on it (with a tuft of his black chest fur poking out the top), a torn blue pair of jeans, white trainers criss-crossed with red and blue lines and brown leather fingerless gloves were what he wore. On top of that he wore his favourite jacket, a somewhat weather-worn navy blue leather jacket with red lining and the flag of his home country Soleanna, a golden flame on a black field, emblazoned on the left arm.

Dax went downstairs and into the kitchen where at the table sat Shrike, Dax's father, and Buster, his best friend feasting on toast. Shrike was very much the spitting image of his son, right down to the untameable hair, the only difference was fur colour and signs of aging. He had concrete grey fur rather than light brown, his muzzle, hair and chest were navy blue and his eyes were golden. He wore a simple white button shirt and black jeans. He also carried himself far more seriously than his son; fitting given his station.

Buster Victin meanwhile was a _large_ mobian bear, over four feet of dirty blonde fur and muscle. His white hair and muzzle fur were trimmed short and neat in a military like fashion. He wore a red muscle shirt that only enhanced his image along with sand-coloured cargos. Despite his intimidating appearance, Dax knew that he wouldn't hurt a fly out of malice; a fact betrayed by his soft cream coloured eyes.

"Hey Dax," greeted Buster, "You ready for today?"

"Ready and raring, man!" he replied enthusiastically as he grabbed a slice of toast and sat down.

Shrike rolled his eyes, "If that were true, you would've gotten out of bed on your own for once. The Trial is serious business, Dax. If you wish to become a Sol Knight it is essential that you excel."

Dax replied with the most reassuring smile he could muster, "I know dad, I know. I'm just not a morning person."

Shrike sighed while Buster quickly tried to move the conversation on, "So Dax, what kind of Trial do you think you'll be given?"

Dax chuckled, "Dunno man, they are random after all."

"Yeah yeah, I know. I meant guess or something."

Dax sat up, "Well, Dart got a combat Trial; like last for ten minutes against a Blademaster right?"

Shrike nodded.

"Yeah. And Silver had to figure out the cause of a bunch of disappearances out in the Westtrack."

"Yes, and it was a feral needlehound, a rather easy Trial if I'm honest," Shrike nodded.

"Yeah a needlehound is no competition to a decent fighter," Dax nodded, "Anyway, I think Bret and Polla got a group Trial?"

Buster nodded, "Yeah yeah, they had to survive in the DMZ with only a basic survival kit between them for two weeks. I know all this, what's your point?"

Dax smiled, "My point dear bear-bro, is that it could be any combination of those plus a thousand more, so why ask me what I think it'll be?"

Buster shrugged, "Because your dad's talk about how tough this Trial is gonna be is making effin' petrified?"

Shrike chuckled as he stood, "Heh heh, yes I'm told I'm good at that. Now shall we head to the temple, get a head start on training?"

Dax stretched and leaned back whilst closing his eyes, "Naaah. No need, I'm gonna nail it."

The dog opened his eyes only to see his father and friend giving him a hard stare.

"Alright, alright let's go..." Dax grumbled.

The trio left the house and into Shrike's silver saloon. After pulling out of the drive way the car left the suburb and onto an overpass which gave a great view of the capital of Soleanna, High Crest. It stood by the glistening Northwash Sea, with docks and warehouses dotting the coast's edges. Further inland, the ancient spires of the Old City stood with buildings over a millenia old. In the centre of the Old City stood the Citadel of Solaris and the seat of the House of Centinae, the current rulers of Soleanna. The city streached out further towards the Minuid Mountains where the modern, towering skyscrapers of the New City reached to the feet of the mountain peaks. Some ways up one of the peaks was a lone building and their destination; the Temple of Solaris.

Soon, they arrived at the temple perimeter and, after being cleared by the gate guard, then the temple itself. The large, ancient building resonated power, it was older than High Crest itself. Its worn stone walls were covered in faded gold leaf and the old wooden banisters were a faded maroon; the temple was well maintained, but time can only be fought for so long. In front of the door to the main hall stood a statue of the long, long dead King Twilight, the first king of a unified Soleanna and the founder of High Crest. He also originally studied and trained at the Temple of Solaris for it was also a place of learning. Flanking the main hall doors were two of the temple's students, clad in ornate, but desceptively modern golden armour and wielding long intracate polearms with elegant axe-like blades.

They were Sol Knights. They were part of an elite force of around five thousand that were charged with defending the royal family, their sacred artifacts and keeping watch at the Scorched Run against Soleanna's enemies. They were all skilled fighters, be it with blade, gun, bow or even fist, as well as powerful Streamers. Sol Knights were lifers, serving for their entire professional lives, with the most skilled, tactically and physically, becoming one of ten Commanders; a distinction that Shrike had the honour of having. Dax and Buster meanwhile were about to take the final step from Squirehood to becoming full Sol Knights, the Trial.

Squires were initiated at twelve years old, with any Streamers being potential candidates. If they pass a obstacle course and psych exam they begin training until at eighteen, nineteen or twenty (whenever they are deemed ready) they face the Trial, a task, unique for each student, designed to test all of their training, skills and cunning. Pass and they became Sol Knight Initiates, the lowest rank but still held the equivailent rank of Lieutenant in the regular army.

Dax felt an all too familiar twinge when he saw the guards. He shouldn't have gotten this far... He had a rare condition amongst Streamers, Stream Instability, which suppressed the full potential of his powers and made it difficult to keep a hold of whatever he _did_ have. The only reason he made it so far so bull-headed stubborness and a near unnatural talent with a sword. Nonetheless, in his heart of hearts, he did not expect to pass the Trial.

The trio enter the massive main hall, a bright room with a murial of an ancient battle that later saw formation of the Sol Knights on the ceiling. Many doors led off to different parts of the temple, with Knights, squires and those involved in maintaining various aspects of the temple hurrying back and forth.

Shrike turned to the two teenagers, "You boys go prep your gear and get your thoughts together. Be at the Emerald shrine in half an hour. I'll see you there."

The boys only nodded and headed off towards the armoury. Shrike meanwhile made his way into the depths of the temple until he reached a wide open room with a concave ceiling. The room appear to simply be carved roughly out of the rock aside from the neat paving on the floor and a hole in the ceiling that let in a beam of daylight onto the centre of the room. There within the light, surrounded by seven large floating jewels, was a meditating figure on its knees, eyes closed. Shrike made his way towards it but was interrupted by a shout to his right.

"Oi, oi! D'you have an appointment, mate?"

Shrike whirled on the figure, bristling. The culprit was a young female raccoon of around fifteen or sixteen. Her orange fur and chocolate brown bands around her eyes and tail only served to highlight her bright blue eyes. Her hair was tied back in a long ponytail, with long bangs hanging over the top of her eyes. She wore a squires uniform of black shirt and trousers, black boots and gloves and a gold-trimmed black tabard with the Golden Flame of Soleanna on the breast.

"Mind your tongue, squire," Shrike growled, "This temple is under my protection; I don't need an appointment to move around in it."

The raccoon merely scoffed, "Mind _yourself_, fella! The princess specifically asked for no interruptions and it ain't happenin' under my watch."

A level voice broke the heated exchange, "Be calm, Marine. Commander Nalsaw does not need an appointment," the meditating figure opened her eyes, "I apologize, Commander. She was acting under my instructions."

The raccoon called Marine crossed her arms with a somewhat smug look upon her face, "'Keep anyone from disturbing my meditations', that's what you said, yep."

"It does rather defeat the purpose of your task if your method of stopping intruders is yelling at them, Marine."

The figure approached the two and now that she was out of the sunlight, the visage of Princess Blaze Centinae was clear. She was tall lavender cat with a what appeared to be a cut red ruby on her forehead; a symbol of her status. Her golden eyes were infamously soul-piercing but had gained a much softer edge to them in recent months. Her hair was tied back in a tall ponytail that had grown to a degree that it had began to slope downwards. She wore an open long purple coat with simple red embroidery, a black undershirt with a golden Sol Steel breastplate that actually looked rather light, white leggings and gloves and ornate purple shoes also of plated Sol Steel. She had gotten rid of the high heels she had worn a couple of months before due to 'impracticality'.

Marine twiddled her fingers together, "Eh heh heh... Sorry Blaze. Commander. Squire's gotta do what she's told."

Shrike raised a hand in a calming gesture, "It's alright. Why don't you go practice your water-weaving?"

"Sounds good to me!" she exclaimed, saluting, "G'day, Commander!" and with that she rushed off.

Blaze sighed whilst rubbing her head, "I'm sorry Nalsaw, she still has something of a problem with authority."

Shrike chuckled, "Like I said, it's alright your highness. That attitude might actually prove useful once she becomes a Knight."

"Perhaps, perhaps. What brings you here today then? I do not believe you were due in today."

"Yes, well, my son recieves his Trial today."

Blaze felt a twinge of guilt as she always did when she heard Dax mentioned, a sobering reminder of what her powers could do unchecked. Ever since Dax had started studying here, she made a point to avoid the training grounds. Thankfully, Blaze usually kept to herself entirely so she wasn't sure that Dax even knew she lived in the temple, given that she stuck to the Emerald shrine and Dax to the barracks, cafeteria and training grounds. For the best she had always thought, best she not bring up any bad memories and besides she was never any good in such awkward social situations.

Recently, however, ever since she had made some close friends during battles with their kingdom's single greatest enemy, Eggman Nega, she had contemplated trying to rebuild bridges between them. Apologize for what she did.

"Princess? Are you alright, you seemed a little... spaced out there?"

Blaze was yanked from her reverie by the dog's question, "Huh? Oh, uh, yes Commander I wish him the best of luck."

"Thank you," Shrike nodded, "Would you like to inspect the potential Initiates before they are tasked?"

Blaze blinked. A chance to see Dax? Right before his Trial? No, that would not be appropriate; such a distraction could prove disastrous for his performance.

"That's quite alright, I should be getting back to my meditations."

As Shrike began to leave the chamber, the ground underneath began to shake violently. Shrike spun around only to see Blaze ready in a fighting stance, glancing around the room, "Prepare yourself! I sense something coming!"

Shrike silently cursed himself for not suiting up and arming himself as soon as he had entered the temple, as protocol said he should have. Instead, he widened his stance and raised his fists whilst reaching into that familiar spot in the back of his mind; his Stream to the Sol Force. His irises began to glow and his fists alit with golden aura, "I'm ready princess."

Not a second later, the ground between the two exploded upwards in a towering pillar of rubble and dust. Once it cleared, it revealed a huge, unmarked machine sticking out of the ground, with a huge spiked drill at its apex. Lower down on the machine there were a number of doors; doors that soon after rose slowly and ominously. With a _cha-chunk _they came to a stop and for a moment, there was silence. Then figures advanced out of the machine at a run charging at the commander and princess. They wore simple and unmarked gunmetal grey plated armour and wielded either a vibroblade, rifle, shotgun or in some cases some sort of heavy weapon like a light machine gun or a rocket launcher.

With a battle cry on the commander's side and a silent, burning glare on the princess's, the two charged into battle.

_Ten minutes earlier..._

Dax and Buster arrived at the barracks and headed straight for their respective lockers. Dax arrived at his, marked 'D. Nalsaw' and Buster at his own marked 'B. Etrask'. Inside, Dax was presented with his gear; a black uniform identical to Marine's in all but size (Dax being above average height and Marine below) except for an armoured vest underneath the tabard. His weapons consisted of large revolver-like pistol with a midnight blue paint-job, a weapon dubbed Backlash by Dax, and a two and a half foot long mono-edge sword. It had a simple steel blade and rectangular block shaped guard, with the handle being wrapped in an interlocking pattern of high quality leather. At the base of the blade was an indented section that covered about a quarter of the total length with things that looked similar to nozzles. These were the conductors, an arc of electricity would run between them when the sword was activated. Indeed, the weapon was a Type-4 vibroblade, colloquially known as a 'bolt sword'; a weapon capable of being charged with electrical energy or even projecting it across short distances within a magnetic 'bottle'. It really was a crushing blow in the battle of melee versus ranged combat.

His sheathed sword slung across his back and his pistol holstered at his side, Dax closed his locker and turned to see Buster similarly suited up, only he wielded a standard issue Flurry machine pistol and a long halberd in a similar style to Dax's sword, right down to the conductors for it was too a bolt-blade.

"Ready, bud?" asked Dax.

"As I'll ever be," replied a worried looking Buster.

Dax grinned and slapped his friend on the back, "Don't worry. Like I said earlier, we'll nail it."

Despite his 'confidence', he secretly felt like his heart was about to leap out of his throat, flee the temple and carve out a life as a crazy hermit in the mountains. In spite of this, the two left the lockers and left towards the emerald shrine to meet Shrike.

The duo did not make it far however when the entire world seemed to shake around them. They heard roars and crashes and shouts and screams of alarm all around them. The two soon lost their footing fell to the ground and they instinctively covered their heads with their arms. After a few seconds, which seemed like an eternity, the shaking stopped.

Buster was the first to emerge from his position, "It's stopped... You okay Dax?"

Dax rose to his feet, dusting off his tabard, "Yeah I'm fine. But seriously what the fuck? We don't get earthquakes here..."

"Yeah. Weird."

The two then froze when they heard the sounds of fighting, gunshots and clashing blades, shouts of anger and screams of pain, worryingly close. Dax immediately drew his sword and flipped it on, an arc of electricity angrily pulsing between the two conductors at the base of the blade as a low hum rose higher and higher only to disappate. The infamous sound of a vibroblade being activated.

Having done the same with his halberd, Buster advanced forwards to the corner of the branching corridor they were in. The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps could be heard. Buster peeked around the corner; only to instantly flinch back as a bullet whizzed by.

"Shit. Dax we've got company. Four of them, no markings. Two with rifles, two with blades."

"In the temple? This isn't going to go down well. Suppress them, I'll try and flank them."

Buster nodded and drew his machine pistol. He fired blindly down the hall at the four intruders, the fire felling one rifleman and forcing the bladesmen and the remaining rifleman to press themselves against the corridor wall in an attempt to avoid the blindfire. Dax used this opportunity to sprint down the other hallway and hang a left to loop back around. Soon, he was behind them, watching the rifleman vainly return fire at Buster. Once Dax moved forward, the three noticed him. The rifleman raised his weapon but Dax quickly cast his sword forward, sending a ball of electrical energy at him, striking him in his chest. He was thrown back against the wall and slumped to the floor, twitching and blood leaking from his helmet.

That still left the two others who had closed in, swinging their swords down as one. Dax raised his sword to block and buckled slightly under the weight of two opponents. Dax gave a hard push which forced them back. By this time Buster had barrelled around the corner, his halberd ready. One of the attackers spun to face him and their weapons clashed, the attacker being forced to his knees by the sheer power of Buster's swing. Buster quickly grabbed the enemy's sword arm and yanked him forward, then dropped his weapon and grabbed the attacker's face with his now free hand, his hand glowing with violet energy. The mobian twitched once and then fell motionless.

Dax meanwhile had his own opponent on the back foot thanks to Buster's intervention. The masked mobian was parrying desperately as Dax pressed his attack, his seven years of experience of swordsmanship shining through. Soon, with one arcing slice, the mobian's hand flew through the air, blood spraying through the air. He screamed for a moment before Dax's sword embedded itself through his helmet before being yanked out and being finished off by a spinning slice that removed his head.

Buster observed his friend's handiwork, "Y'know that stab probably killed him. Didn't need to take his head off."

Dax rolled his eyes, "Yeah, 'cause that's just _brimming_ with flair."

"Yes, but it _is_ efficient."

"Stow the 'e' word around me, pal," Dax replied wagging his finger before motioning to the attacker that Buster had felled, "Did you kill him?"

"Him? No, just knocked him out. Figured the Commanders would want prisoners for questioning."

Dax nodded, "Good thinking."

"That's what I'm here for," Buster smiled, "Solaris knows you won't do it yourself. Anyway, we should keep heading to the emerald shrine. Find your dad."

"If he's alive..." Dax mumbled in a sudden moment of pessimism.

Buster shook his head, "He is. I'm sure of it. We mopped the floor with these guys and they clearly aren't Streamers. They'll be no competition to someone like your dad."

Meanwhile...

Buster's prediction shone true as the Commander and the Princess were beginning to find it difficult to move from the sheer amount of enemies they had slain. Shrike had since acquired a vibroblade from one of the attackers and was carving through any who came close, and blocking incoming weapons fire by spinning his sword so quickly that it formed a makeshift shield. Blaze meanwhile had both her hands engulfed in flame and her razor sharp claws extended. Those she didn't engulf in large balls of flame or pillars of fire, had their throats ripped out by her sharp claws or their bones shattered by her powerful kicks.

But still they kept coming.

Shrike raised his free hand, glowing with golden energy.

"Sol Arrow!"

A sharp, short dart of energy shot from his hand into the nearest enemy, leaving a large smoking hole in his torso.

Not to be out done, the fires in Blaze's hands intensified as she shouted, "Scattershot!"

Blaze threw a fireball into a poor soul in the middle of a squad of riflemen. The ball ended the mobian but it then exploded sending tiny fragments flying out, having a similar effect to shrapnel, decimating the entire squad.

Shrike wouldn't have that, "Sol Singularity!"

A golden ball appeared in a group of enemies which suddenly and violently sucked them all inside. The singularity then disappeared, leaving no trace of the attackers. They hadn't gone anywhere, they had just been crushed into their component atoms.

Blaze was impressed, but still it lacked _something. 'Time to break out something I learned from sparring with Sonic.'_

"Homing Burst!"

Blaze leapt into air, spinning as she surrounded herself in a vortex of flames. She then shot towards an attacker, the force breaking his neck. She shot towards another, leaving a trial of fire behind her, burning a group of attackers. She kept repeating this until she had wiped out most of the attackers on her side of the machine. The rest immediately threw their weapons and raised their hands.

Shrike sighed. He didn't have many attacks that could match that in terms of sheer shock value. Except perhaps one.

Shrike drove his sword into one attacker's skull and shouted, "Bloody Sunday!"

Energy pulsed down the sword, into the poor soul's head and with a blast (and a _pop_) it exploded, showering his companions with blood and bone. They froze as Shrike pointed his sword at them, "I suggest you surrender."

They immediately complied, "Good boys," Shrike praised.

Rapidly approaching footsteps brought Blaze and Shrike's attention towards the door. In burst Marine and a dozen or so Sol Knights, all spattered with varying quantities of blood. One of the Knights approached Shrike, a white hedgehog with golden eyes, a distinctive fern like quill pattern, dressed in Sol Knight battle armour and a short sword at his side that seemed entirely clean, implying that he had not used it. The hedgehog saluted, "The temple is secure, sir. These... soldiers, if you can call them that, came up all over the place."

Shrike nodded, "Very well Knight Tuyrin."

"Excellent, Silver," added Blaze before turning to the some what shaken looking raccoon, "Are you all right Marine?"

"Yeah, yeah no drama," waved Marine.

Blaze a concerned glance at Marine, feeling she wasn't be entirely sincere, but she let it go. Two more sets of footsteps were then heard and in came Dax and Buster.

"Dax!" Shrike called, rapidly closing the distance and pulling his son into a hug, "Thank Solaris you're safe."

Dax struggled briefly then returned the hug, "Glad you're okay too dad but, uh, everyone's staring."

"Let them," Shrike chuckled.

The three were walking towards the other Knights when they noticed a shimmering just behind the group. They immediately realised what this meant and broke into a run. Just as they did, a dozen armoured figures, much more advanced armour than the other attackers, decloaked right behind them, next to the floating Sol Emeralds. As one made a grab for them, the others drew bolt swords, axes and spears and charged.

Shrike and Buster immediately ran for the emerald thief and Dax was about to follow them when he noticed something. Blaze was duking it out with one of the attackers, a group of Streamers considering how much more bothersome they were proving, not noticing another enemy closing in behind her, axe raised. Dax desperately reached for the Sol Force, silently praying it wouldn't slip away like it so often did. After some struggle, he reached the Sol Force and Sol energy surged through his body as he yelled out, "S-sol Shift!"

Dax instantly teleported next to the princess where he immediately tackled her to the ground, the axeman half way through his swing. Before he could finish it, he was struck down by the sickening _crack_ of a piece of debris being hurled at his head with telekinesis, curtesy of Silver.

Meanwhile, Shrike and Buster had reached the thief who had just stowed the emeralds away in backpack. Shrike closed first, swinging his sword but the thief blocked and immediately kicked the dog between his legs, causing him to double over. The thief then followed up this underhanded blow with a blast of Sol energy, sending Shrike flying backwards. Buster then arrived and their blades clashed. They fought for a moment, matching each other blow for blow until the thief suddenly pulled a quick riposte disarming the bear. He then grabbed the bear and pressed his weapon to his throat.

"We are done here, brothers!" the thief called out. His companions quickly cloaked and disappeared. Dax saw the peril his best friend was in.

"Buster!"

The thief pressed the blade tighter to the bear's neck, "No, no, no little Knight. Any closer and you'll never get the stain out of this lovely floor. And so sorry to take the emeralds, but then they're not rightfully yours are they?"

Blaze shoved Dax off of her and dashed towards the thief.

"Ta-ta, Sol Knights!" taunted the thief as he used Sol Shift, teleporting away and taking Buster with him.

"BUSTER!" screamed Dax as he dashed towards the spot the bear had once occupied and cast his head around, looking for some hint of where he had been taken whilst Blaze did the same, seeking her emeralds.

Shrike on the other hand had a firmer hold on the situation, "SECURE THE TEMPLE, LOCK DOWN ALL EXITS! They will NOT leave!"

Blaze turned a murderous gaze to the panicked dog next to her, "You... _You lost the emeralds!"_

Dax didn't even notice her, muttering under his breath as he began to pace, "Damn it, damn it, damn it..."

"You lost them!" Blaze suddenly tackled Dax to the ground, and raised her claws ready to end the squire, "IF YOU HADN'T TACKLED ME I COULD'VE STOPPED HIM! ITS YOUR FAULT! YOURS!"

Blaze might have finished the dog right there, if Silver and Marine had rushed towards the pair and pulled Blaze off of Dax.

"Blaze, enough!" barked Silver, "I saw the whole thing, he saved your life!"

Steam spewed from Blaze's mouth as she replied with heat befitting her name, "You really think I would miss such a poor sneak attack. I could sense him, I was drawing him in!"

"And how the chuff was he supposed ta know that, shiela?" cried Marine.

Blaze shook her head, "I won't make exceptions for some squire who has no faith in the abilities of his future queen, no matter our history!" Blaze fixed her gaze on Dax, just now staggering to his feet, whilst Silver and Marine exchanged glances over the 'history' part, "He must be punished."

"Perhaps there is another way," said a voice.

The four turned around to see an elderly panda entering the chamber, dressed in black and gold robes with a silverly beard falling out from his hood. He was Master Damokiri, overall leader of the Sol Knights and only person the Knight Commanders answered to, aside from the king and queen.

"Young Blaze, you may have some darkness in your heart but it is by far outshone by the light. You will not murder anyone in cold blood, we both know this. Only those you meet in battle should fear you."

Blaze froze for a moment, then retracted her claws.

"That's better," nodded Damokiri, "Now, as I said, there is a better way. Young Dax did what he thought was best, despite it being... ill advised. Therefore he should make amends, not face punishment. You are awaiting your Trial, are you not young man?"

"Y-yes, master," stuttered Dax, still shaken by his brush with fiery death.

"Then that is perfect! You will be given one of the most difficult Trials given to any of this year's graduates in compensation. You will assist Princess Blaze in retrieving the Sol Emeralds."

Blaze broke free from her friend's grasp, "What?! He's inexperienced! Not to mention his Instability! He'll just slow us down!"

Damokiri just smiled, "Now, Blaze aren't you being tad hypocritical about 'inexperience', considering you will almost certainly bring your little protege with you? One who is about four years less experienced than Dax? Ah, no offence intended, squire."

"None taken, Master," grinned Marine, rubbing her finger under a nose in a very reminiscent of a friend of hers.

Silver stepped, "As for his instability, I fought beside him on the way here and he's no slouch. He's very nearly as skilled as his father with a blade."

"Too right!" added Marine, "You always told me that skill would always trounce power!"

Dax took a deep breath and finally spoke, "Your highness? With all due respect, whether you want me to or not, I'm going with you. Whoever those guys were, they took my friend. We've always had each other's back, ever since we were kids and I'm not letting him down now. The same guy that took the emeralds took Buster so I figure where we found one, we'll find the other and I'll do everything in my power to bring them back. Bring them _both_ back. I'm ready for this princess, I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

Blaze thought for moment, taking in the conviction in his voice, hardly believing that this the same boy she used to know, "Very well..."

Marine hopped in the air in joy, "Ripper! But... where do we start?"

Damokiri nodded, "I can help there. During the battle, we captured a number of prisoners. They will be interrogated to find you your first lead. Now, princess will you be taking anyone other than the two squires? For a mission of such importance, all our resources are open to you but I suggest you travel in a small group, quickly and quietly."

"Agreed. I will take Knight Silver with me in addition to Marine and Dax."

"Excellent. Now I suggest you youngsters go get some rest. We will let you know as soon as we have a lead."

Without another word, the newly formed team shuffled out of the chamber. Dax took one last glance at the spot that used to contain his friend and left after his new comrades.

_Two days later in the Citadel of Solaris..._

The mobian sparrow was on his knees, hands tied behind his back. At his neck was a knife held by Shrike. He was covered in cuts and bruises, his left eye was blackened, his beak was cracked, his clothes were torn. He knelt in a bare and shadowed room, he could barely see the Sol Knight who held him. Skulking around the perimeter of the room was a shadowed figure with the profile of a male mobian. He observed the sparrow with his hands behind his back, his stance relaxed.

The figure spoke, "Where are the emeralds?" he asked calmly.

The sparrow remained silent. The figure persisted, speaking more forcefully this time, "Where are the emeralds?"

The sparrow spat a globule of blood towards the figure that landed short. The figure sighed, "Commander, if you would?"

Shrike raised his sword and struck the sparrow on the shoulder with the pommel of his knife sending a sickening crack echoing around the room. The sparrow yelled in pain as he fell. Shrike grabbed a handful of the feathers on his head and dragged him back up into their previous position.

"I suggest you cooperate," advised the figure, "Your body will break long before the Commander here gets bored."

Shrike leaned in, next to the sparrow's ear, "_Long_ before."

"Now, who hired you, why and where are the emeralds," the figure pressed.

"I don't know..." the sparrow mumbled.

This time, Shrike simply punched him, lengthening the crack in the sparrow's beak.

"You and your pals attacked some of the most skilled warriors on our planet and you don't know _why_?" snarled Shrike, "Bullcrap."

"Agreed," said the figure, "You are _lying_."

The sparrow barked out a derisive laugh, "Ha! What's it to you bub?"

The figure laughed in turn, a dark and deeply unsettling sound, "Who have no idea who I am, do you?"

The sparrow put on a brave face, "Buddy, you could be the janitor for all I care."

With that, at a speed that shouldn't be possible, the figure rushed out of the shadows, pushed Shrike away and grabbed the sparrow by the throat revealing him to be an indigo cat with a circular golden gem on his forehead, golden eyes and sharp features. He wore an ornate black coat and trousers and his claws were extended, his free hand holding them up threateningly.

"I'll tell you who I am, scum. I am King Dusk Centinae, I am your master and I am one _who does not suffer fools lightly!_ Now tell me what you know!"

The sparrow seemed to lose all power of coherant speech, spluttering and stammering his response, "The-the king? But, you, uh, you-you can't... AW FUCK DON'T HURT ME!"

A deep blue flame appeared in Dusk's clawed hand, "Speak!"

"Alright, alright!" the sparrow relented, "Just don't fry me or claw me or whatever it is you do!"

Shrike stepped forward, "Tell us everything and we'll think about it."

The sparrow took a deep breath and spoke in an unsteady voice, "I'm part of the Steel Fist merc group. About a month back we got a contract. The client wouldn't meet us in person, wouldn't even give his name."

"This client," Shrike asked, "Would he happen to be the same freak that stole the emeralds and captured one of our men?"

The sparrow nodded, "That's what I heard anyway. Like I said, he never gave up his identity."

The king nodded, "Continue."

"Yeah. Okay, the contract stated that the mission was of utmost secrecy and that the full skinny wouldn't be given until a few days before the mission. We were only told that our entire force would be required and to train with the new equipment he provided. Those drill machines we used, never seen anything like 'em. New weapons and armor too; military grade."

"So whoever is responsible has access to vast resources. Likely a nation?" the king pondered to himself.

"Hell if I know," snarked the sparrow, "We got told we were hitting the Temple of Solaris about five days ago now. The entire group almost walked out when we heard, figured it was suicide."

"And that's the only time you've sounded smart throughout this whole interrogation," quipped Shrike.

The sparrow ignored him, "Then we saw the plan. Bust through in the drills, grab the emeralds and get out. No reason for any casualities. But what he didn't tell us was that we were _cannon fodder_. We were sent in early and all over the place, didn't know what the fuck was going on. Turns out we were just a distraction. Our client came in and you know the rest."

"Where were you based?" asked Dusk.

"Aqui Island out in the Northwash. Won't be much there though, most of the Steel Fist was wiped out so we left the camp deserted. You gotta know how many pirates are out in those waters, they would've moved in and trashed the place by now."

Shrike looked up at Dusk, "Nonetheless, sire, it is a lead."

"Indeed," nodded the king and before anyone could so much as blink, the king extended his claws and swiped them across the sparrow's neck, sending him to the floor gurgling as blood poured out of the fatal wound.

Shrike took a step back, "Why did you do that? I said we'd let him live if he cooperated."

"You said we _might_. I can't have those who invade our territory and defile our holy places going on to live anything other than short and bloody lives. Inform my daughter that we have a lead and prepare her team for a long and perilous journey."

Shrike froze for a moment at the sheer ruthlessness of what he just heard and witnessed before bowing, "Yes sire."

_The next day, at High Crest's military dockyards..._

Dax stood, sword on his back, pistol at his side, backpack over his sword and wearing the same attire had been wearing when he first arrived at the Temple on that fateful day. Beside him stood his father, in a Soleannan army officer's uniform. The two observed the trio of Blaze, Silver and Marine; all suitably equipped for a long and dangerous journey and waiting for the final member of their team. Shrike put his hand on Dax's shoulder,

"Y'know you can still back out. I'm sure those three can handle this. The princess has retrieved the emeralds with less help than this."

Dax turned to his father, "I'm not going for the emeralds, I'm going for Buster. I can't help shake the feeling that if I had his back, if I hadn't leapt before I looked with that stupid impulsive move, he might still be around."

Shrike shook his head, "That thief was a powerful and underhanded fighter. You would have been taken too."

"No way to know. Look, dad, I gotta do this."

"I know son," Shrike pulled Dax into a hug, "I've tried to fill the role of two parents to make up for the fact that you never got to know your mother. Its been hard. But I'm proud to see that I must have done something right to have someone like you as a son."

Dax felt a lump rising in his throat, "I love you, dad."

"I love you too Dax. Now go on and bring me back something shiny!"

Dax grinned, "I'll bring you seven!"

With that he jogged towards the trio that awaited him. Marine gave a cheery wave, Silver a regular one whilst Dax's arrival only illicited a nod from Blaze.

_Still pissed at me then. Damn, _thought Dax.

"All done?" asked Blaze, nodding towards Shrike who hadn't moved from where Dax had left him.

"I guess," replied Dax rubbing the back of his neck.

Blaze shook her head, "You must be entirely focused on this mission. In a group as small as this we all rely on each other. So there is no 'I guess'. You either are or you aren't."

"Take it easy Blaze," smiled Silver, "He doesn't need the kind of lecture you give to a fresh squire. He's a Sol Knight."

"Not yet. Come, let's get underway."

The four entered a nearby enclosed dock, where a large ship was berthed. Its sleek metal hull was painted in blue, red and bronze. It appeared to be propelled by a combination of sails, that formed a roof over the main deck and a pair 'wings', and a pair of paddle wheels. At the bow was the carving of an albatross whilst the rest of the ship was bristling with weapons, from machine gun turrets, to flame throwers, to a massive rail gun poking out of the bow just below the ship's avian mascot.

Marine jogged forward and posed in front of Dax, "May I present, the Ocean Tornado!"

Dax was whistled appreciatively, "No idea we would be taking a warship. So's who the captain, do I know him?"

Marine grinned, "Oh ya know _her_."

Dax tilted his head in confusion, "I don't follow..."

The two stared at each other for a moment, Marine's grin and Dax's nonplussed expression growing larger by the second. Before long, Blaze decided to put a stop to this increasingly unusual situation.

"Dax, Marine is the Ocean Tornado's captain."

Dax stared for a moment, then burst out laughing, "No, really, who's captain?"

Suddenly, Dax felt like he been hit square between the eyes by a water balloon and in a way he had as when looked around for the source he saw an angry Marine with a ball of water floating in her hand that was surrounded by a shimmering green light.

"You take that back, mate," she said in a surprisingly dangerous tone.

Silver decided to douse the situation, "Dax, Marine is actually a very accomplished sailor and no one knows the Ocean Tornado better. We couldn't ask for a better captain for this journey. And Marine, cool it. For all he knew, you were just a squire."

Dax rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh. Right, uh, sorry Marine."

A somewhat embarrassed Marine waved it off, "No drama mate, and sorry for the drink."

Blaze wouldn't say it but she was very proud of Marine. Just a year ago Marine would have pressed the issue and caused quite the incident. Now she just let it go, even admitting wrong doing herself. She had certainly come far from the excitable, accident prone and rather annoying preteen that Blaze had found her as.

It was such optimistic thoughts that helped balance the sense of tremendous worry she had about this mission. Something just felt off about all this. How could a group so easily launch a surprise attack on the Temple of Solaris, as ineffectual as it may have been? And the thief. Who could have overpowered Shrike, one of the most powerful Knights still in service, so easily, even if it was with underhanded tactics?

There were greater powers at work here, and Blaze had every intention of finding out what they were so that she could swiftly and decisively end them. Blaze was more determined than ever as she and her team boarded the Ocean Tornado and it cast off towards Aqui Island.

Royal Codex circa 1273 AU (2584 AD)

Entry: Mobian Naming Habits

Mobians tend to have varied and sometimes unusual names to an overlander observer. Most mobian family names (their second name) have their roots in the ancient mobian language, Mobynan (mo-BI-nan). Names given in this way were often words that represented a significant aspect of that family, for example the original family name of the Acorns, Nyeri, which roughly translates as 'rulers' or 'leaders'. Family names are the only place where Mobynan frequently appears in the present day since the Great War as most of the then subjugated mobians were forced to speak English by the overlanders and their native language is today all but dead. Family names also often have their basis in the overlander language English and you will often mobians with overlander family names like Anderson and Smith.

As for first names, these are usually also found in Mobynan or from English. However, unique to first names amoungst mobians is the use of objects, forces or concepts as names. This usually happens in the case of newborn Streamers where an experienced Streamer can determine the powers that a young Streamer will develop through a process known as Stream Temporal Divination. Once the child's powers are known, the parents will often choose that befits their ability, such as an ice-wielder being named Frost or something similar.

**Yeah. LONG. Hope you enjoyed it either way and as always any reviews or questions are much appreciated.**

**One last thing, this mother needs a cover! Unfortunately, I have no artisitic talent. If you or someone you know is willing to help me out, please send me a message. **

**Anyhow, until next time!**


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